BREAD & GUTS – 7 Day sourdough diploma SYLLABUS

These 7-day courses take your knowledge and understanding of sourdough to another level. Please read fully before booking.

This is more than about learning to make sourdough; this is about you and your bread. You will learn to make beautiful sourdough, whilst learning about yourself and the composition of your gut microbiome, and how your diet affects both your physical and mental well being

DURING THE COURSE WE WILL MAKE:

Classic Sourdoughs

Rye bread

Seasonal sourdoughs

Pain De Mie

Sourdough Pizza

Cultured butter

Kvass

Sauerkraut

French style compote from garden fruit

ALL THE PRINCIPLES OF BAKING SOURDOUGH ARE INCLUDED IN THIS COURSE – APPLY NOW

Including:

Learn how to get a beautiful open crumb sourdough loaf.

How to refresh a starter

Starter maintenance

Learn about versatility and purpose of different leavens

Understand each step of the process

You will find a rhythm – and plan your baking schedule

Flavour – we demystify how to control the sourness of your sourdough

Milling our own flour

Learn about mixing and kneading techniques

Look at the role of salt and how this affects the rise

Understand how water and various hydration levels affect your bread

We will look at the role flour has on the finished bread in detail

Make sure that you really understand the point at which the bread is proved

Please note that the teaching involves a combination of both hands on baking and some demonstrations for certain recipes, however, you will be involved in every aspect of mixing, shaping and proving sourdough, through to the bake. We slow things down and will look at the details that really make the difference.

Discover why sourdough is particularly nutritious and digestible

Learn about prebiotics, probiotics and fermentation techniques

You will be tested in a written paper in ENGLISH at the end of the week. This is not aimed to fail, but it is essential to be awarded a diploma to certain that you have understood all the principles of sourdough. It will be marked as a group exercise as a means of re-enforcing the key principles of making great sourdough.

Whilst the teaching will centre on every aspect of sourdough bread there will still be time to savour your bread, to relax, to breathe deeply and just lose yourself in long, slow fermentation and in the beauty of our rural Northamptonshire setting. We will try to incorporate a walk into each day’s schedule, weather permitting.

– PROGRAM DETAILS –

Before you attend the school you will be sent a test to check the composition of your gut microbiome. The cost of the tests are included as part of the course.

With your personal microbial analysis you will then attend a 1 week Diploma course here at the school.

This is followed by a 12-month home-development program, with a class forum, formula’s & step by step guides.

At the end of the 12 months you carry out a 2nd gut microbial analysis to see any differences in the balance of your gut microbes through changes in your diet.

The workshop will be run by The Sourdough School founder and sourdough specialist Vanessa Kimbell.

The bread and guts week is about understanding every aspect of bread. It is both practical and theory, from culturing a starter, to baking sourdough, to digesting bread, how to optimise the nutrition value of your bread.

The program is personalised, with students testing their personal gut microbiome before attending the course, & retesting 3 months later to see of there are any tangible changes in the balance of their microbiome. The course is supported with a 12 Month Learning Program with the focus the week is on the potential benefits of fermentation of bread and optimal gut microbial health..

The syllabus allows you time to explore the local area, visit local bakeries in the nearby market town, and there is time to see some of the beautiful local countryside. Whist the syllabus is taught in conjunction with Vanessa’s book The Sourdough School this week goes beyond the teachings in this best selling book.

The aim is to challenge you to think about bread differently sourdough is the oldest way of making bread and uses naturally occurring wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria. The process of baking sourdough is sensuous and nurtures both mind and body, and requires a thoughtful and spiritual approach. Artistic and scientific, what Vanessa teaches is a combination of passion, patience, dedication and craftsmanship. It is about connection, using hands, touch, smell, taste, sight, heat and mind. It is about wellness but it is also making sourdough work for you in real life, so you continue to bake at home.

Depending on the weather you will have some free time, and there is the opportunity to walk, cycle, visit the local pubs, or pop to the local farmers market, cheese mongers and bakery.

During the week you will have the option to visit Vanessa’s family vineyard, just a five minutes drive from the school.

The course aim is to give you the confidence and know-how to bake your own homemade, artisan, sourdough loaves.

It will be a fun week, full of information, demonstrations and baking.

All participants will receive a certificate of attendance.

Two weeks before the course a timetable will be sent to you.

Timings: on the first day, the Monday, please arrive at 9.50am ready for a 10am start. All other days please arrive ten minutes before each start time. Each day normally ends around 6pm but some can differ. On the last day, the Sunday, the course ends at 4pm.

What is included:

MICROBIAL TESTS

The two Gut Microbial Tests by Atlas Biomed. All food and drinks whilst at the school are provided. We will be eating sourdough, local cheeses and simple, delicious homemade food and ferments for lunch, and enjoying a glass of award-winning wine from the local vineyard or our own sourdough beer.

12 MONTH PROGRAM

Continuing to learn and develop sourdough and applying the techniques & recipes you learnt with dozens of in depth articles and studies – the course doesn’t end when you leave the school. The program is supported with the 12 months access to the GOLD student tutorial package, with over 300 supporting articles, and class notes.

Please note that we are also mindful that some people want to avoid alcohol, and we have a separate table available, that is still very sociable to eat at.

What is not included:

Students are responsible for:

Travel

Your accommodation

Transport to and from the classes (there is local accommodation listed below that is 1 mile away)

You will need to arrange for your own breakfast and evening meals

You will only need to bring a few essentials, your favourite apron, and a large basket to take your bread, your bakes and several other bits and pieces home with you, 3 x 200g tupperware containers with lids to take jam, cultured butter and pickles home (please ensure they are sterile and odourless) and a small plastic bottle (an empty water bottle is good) to take syrups home. International students please allow space in your luggage to take many items back with you. You might like to bring indoor shoes for the school, and please also bring a pair of trainers or shoes to walk in, something warm to wear and a flask – we will fill it with hot tea. If you want to cycle then please bring something appropriate to wear – the route is some tarmac, and a well-used track, but it can be muddy in places.

What happens next?

Once payment is made, you are destined to make some awesome bread as your place is booked. An email will be sent to you confirming your place on the course. Hurrah!

PLEASE BOOK your accommodation as soon as you have booked your place on the course, as there are often events in the area.

We advise that students without transport to stay at Sedgebrook Hall. The Hall is set in beautiful grounds and is walking distance in good weather, and in good light (about a 20 minute walk and about a mile away from the school) and has a restaurant and bar, and a small gym and swimming pool: We have a 10% discount code for students which will be included in your booking confirmation email.